How Long Does It Take to Build a Website (and What to Expect Along the Way)
If you’re planning a new website, one of the first questions on your mind is timing. How long will it take—and what actually happens between “hello” and launch?
At Launchworthy, most projects land in the 4–6 week range from kickoff to launch. We also offer priority (rush) timelines for clients who need to move quickly—typically 2–3 weeks—and we happily support longer timelines when boards, committees, or complex content needs are in play. Below, you’ll find a clear look at our process so you know exactly what to expect at each step.
Typical Timelines at a Glance
Standard projects: ~4–6 weeks
Priority / Rush projects: ~2–3 weeks (limited availability; additional fee applies)
Extended timelines: Flexible—ideal when multiple stakeholders are involved or content is still evolving
The real drivers of speed are content readiness, decision-making pace, and feedback turnaround. We design our process to keep momentum—without sacrificing quality.
Stage 1: Enquiry → Fit Check (1–5 days)
Every project starts with a quick enquiry. Many clients choose to book a discovery call so we can clarify your goals, timeline, and scope—and ensure we’re the right fit. If we’re moving forward, we’ll send a tailored proposal with scope, investment, and recommended timeline (standard or rush).
Deliverables from us: Proposal, scope, and timeline
Your part: Share goals, constraints, must-haves, and preferred dates
Stage 2: Onboarding in Motion.io (1–3 days)
Approved? You’ll be invited into Motion.io, our secure client and project hub. It’s where everything lives: tasks, files, messages, approvals, and timelines—so your project stays organized and stress-free.
Initial admin includes:
Agreement: Sign our design contract
Deposit: Pay the initial 25% to reserve your spot
Assets: Upload brand guidelines, logos, and any existing visuals
Tip: If you’re rebranding, we’ll confirm whether we’re refreshing your identity or building new.
Stage 3: Client Homework (3–10 days, often concurrent)
Before we design, we align. You’ll complete structured intake questionnaires so we can fully understand your audience, goals, and voice. Depending on the project, you’ll either:
Provide initial content (text and/or imagery), or
Complete our copy questionnaire so we can guide or create content
We’ll review content for completeness and brand alignment, flag gaps, and confirm we have all we need to begin.
Your part: Complete questionnaires, share content, and approve direction
Our part: Content review, recommendations, and final prep for build
Stage 4: Concept & Direction (5–10 days)
This is where the vision takes shape. We design your homepage concept (and sometimes a key interior page) to establish look, feel, typography, spacing, and interactive elements.
How we present:
A Loom video walkthrough of the design—so you can see intent, strategy, and options in context
A comment-enabled screenshot to collect specific notes
A bookable support call link if you prefer to review live
At this stage, the next deposit (50%) is released. Your project includes two rounds of refinements for the concept. Additional rounds are available for a simple flat fee.
Outcome: Approved design direction that sets the standard for the rest of the site
Stage 5: Full-Site Development (7–14 days)
With direction approved, we build the remainder of the site. You’ll receive viewing permissions for the working draft so you can click through, test navigation, and experience desktop and mobile flows.
Included at this stage:
Two refinement rounds for sitewide updates
Optional live review call (about half our clients love to do this)
Flexible feedback methods:
~25% prefer a collaborative Google Doc with page-by-page notes
~25% send a small list via email or Motion chat
The remainder review and approve without further edits
What helps most: Consolidated feedback per round and a single point of contact for sign-off.
Stage 6: Pre-Launch Polish (3–7 days)
Final touches that make a professional launch feel effortless:
Mobile optimisation across devices
On-page SEO essentials: titles, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text, redirects (as needed)
Performance tweaks and accessibility best practices
Integrations: CRM, scheduling, forms, analytics, embeds, and other requested tools
Hosting & domain coordination for launch day
Sitemap submission to Google to encourage indexing
Once we have your final “green light,” we prepare for launch.
Launch Day
We coordinate timing with your team, update DNS records (or work with your provider), activate hosting, and complete a final pre-flight check. Then—go time. ✨
Post-launch: We monitor, verify indexing, and confirm everything is functioning as expected.
Offboarding & Support
After launch, you’ll receive access to our training resources so your team can confidently manage updates. We also share a coupon for two free months of the Launchworthy Growth Club.
If you want ongoing help, Growth Club is designed for low-friction support:
1 flexible support hour each month
Priority care and discounted add-on hours
10% off future flat-fee quotes
Access to our member resource hub (tools, templates, trainings)
It’s a simple, cost-effective way to keep your site sharp and your momentum steady.
Can We Move Faster?
Yes. That’s where priority (rush) pricing comes in. If you have a hard deadline—a campaign, event, seasonal window, or funding announcement—we can typically deliver in 2–3 weeks. Rush projects require:
Rapid content readiness (or approval to draft on your behalf)
Tight review windows and a single decision-maker
Clear, fixed scope (changes after kickoff may impact timeline)
We’ll advise honestly if your goals, scope, and timing make a rush realistic.
What If We Need More Time?
Absolutely. We understand that timelines can shift—whether it’s waiting on board approvals, refining copy, or rescheduling photography. Our goal is always to keep your momentum going, and we can do that in a few different ways: through staged approvals, temporary placeholders, or even phased launches (e.g., launching core pages now and adding case studies later).
We’re happy to be flexible as long as we stay in touch. If you need to slow things down, we can either keep your project active in a “slow but steady” mode or pause and archive until you’re ready to resume.
To keep things fair for all clients, please note that extended lapses in communication may affect your project’s scheduling. In some cases, this could mean a shift in priority, a re-booking fee, or (in rare situations) project cancellation. The simplest way to avoid this is to keep us in the loop—we’re always happy to adjust if we know what’s going on.
What Makes the Biggest Difference to Timeline?
Content readiness: The #1 accelerator—or bottleneck.
Decision velocity: One empowered approver beats consensus by committee.
Feedback clarity: Consolidated, actionable notes per round keep things moving.
Scope stability: Every mid-stream change resets some portion of the work.
We’ll guide you through all of the above with templates, checklists, and recommendations tailored to your project.
What You Can Expect Working with Launchworthy
A clear, respectful process that balances craft with momentum
Transparent checkpoints (deposits at 25% / 50% / 25% with defined review rounds)
Thoughtful presentation (Loom walkthroughs + commentable previews + live call options)
A polished launch (mobile optimisation, SEO essentials, integrations, and indexing)
Post-launch support that keeps your brand moving forward
Whether you prefer a focused sprint or a more measured pace, our job is the same: deliver a refined, conversion-ready website with no drama and no guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 4–6 weeks realistic for a custom site?
Yes—assuming content is ready (or we’re writing it), decisions are timely, and scope is clear. Complex features or large content libraries can extend timelines.
Can you design “out-of-the-box” layouts?
Absolutely. We specialise in refined systems and creative, non-cookie-cutter experiences—while preserving performance, accessibility, and ease of editing.
What platform do you recommend?
For most clients, Squarespace strikes the ideal balance of design, performance, security, and manageability. We’ll recommend alternatives if your needs are unusually custom. If your needs are better suited to a platform like WordPress or Shopify we will be transparent with you and refer you to a trusted provider.
What happens if we need more than two rounds of revisions?
No problem. Additional rounds are available for a simple flat fee of $97 per round—we’ll flag this before proceeding so there are no surprises.
The Bottom Line
If you’re ready with content and approvals, expect 4–6 weeks to launch a high-performing site. Need speed? Our 2–3 week priority option can get you there—strategically, not sloppily. Prefer to move thoughtfully with more stakeholders? We’ll pace the project without losing momentum.
Either way, you’ll always know what’s next.
Next Step: Let’s Plan Your Timeline
If you’d like us to sense-check scope and dates—or explore a rush—reach out and we’ll map the best path to launch.
